Counterpoint rewrite
by MissRed666
Summary: as the name suggests this is a counterpoint rewrite. What if Janeway held a meeting to discuss the situation with the Devour inspector? JC of course.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of the characters, although I have met a few of the actors :D

Counterpoint is my favourite episode so I thought I would play with it a little bit. I'm not sure if I will continue this story, I will if you review and ask for more but other than that I'll leave the rest to your imaginations.

Enjoy 3

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The senior staff had gathered in the meeting room to discuss what to do about Kasheyk. Janeway was just listening to the group as they argued about how exactly they were going to double-cross the double-crosser. She already knew what had to be done, but stayed listening just in case someone came up with a better plan, or even a plan other than the one she knew they would have to enact. The Devore inspector was devious, she knew it, but she also knew that he had a superiority complex. He would fall for her deception just as easily as she had almost fallen for his. She also knew that he held her in fascination, women in his world were simple not like Janeway, but then no one is like Janeway. Her plan would work, and she knew it would. She only hesitated because of the cost, not the cost to her crew and her ship or for that matter even its captain. She hesitated because of what it would cost to Kathryn Janeway, the woman not the captain. As she listened she could hear their plans getting more and more ludicrous she knew that she would have to stop them eventually.

"Quiet." She stated standing up from her chair, "I've heard enough."

The crew fell silent as their captain started to pace at the head of the table. They thought she was struggling with the decision, but only two people in the room knew that what she was really struggling with was her insecurities to make her only plan work.

"What is your plan Captain?" asked Chakotay, he stared at her face and held contact with her eyes for only a micro second, all he could see was pain before she schooled her features into the familiar Captain mask. She stopped pacing and placed her hands on the table.

"Me, I'm the plan." She stated simply not looking at her crew, her friends.

Everyone except Chakotay started volleying off more and more suggestions and statements asking her not to do what she was thinking of doing. Some of them, B'ellana and Nelix, even stood up to make their points clearer.

"Captain, you have no idea what that man is capable of, this is insane!" yelled B'ellana over the multitude of voice in the room.

"B'ellana is right Captain you can't do this." Called out Nelix. Janeway's head rolled forward to face the floor, with a sigh she called for silence again.

"Be quiet, all of you!" her voice bellowed to be heard above the raucous, "this is our only option. He knew about the telepaths before he came back to ask for 'asylum', we all know this is some sort of elaborate trick to find the worm hole, we are all going to die if I don't do this."

B'ellana and Nelix sat down and Janeway continued,

"We need his help to find the worm hole, he has already given us the necessary information to evade their ships, but this can't be done without him. He needs to think that I don't suspect a thing and if that means I have to…" she paused for a moment and Chakotay filled the silence,

"Pretend to fall in love with him." She pulled her face from the ground and stared into his eyes, seeing nothing but blank space she continued once more,

"Yes, those would be the words. Well you all know what you need to do. Dismissed." The room seemed to pause for half a second before they all got up and went back to duty. When she heard the doors finally swish shut she let her face finally show Kathryn rather than the immovable Captain. Janeway moved over to the window and lent against the railing pushing her head on the cool glass. With a deep sigh she prepared herself to face the next few weeks, they would be more then even she could handle.

"Permission to speak freely?" came a voice from the other side of the room, of course he hadn't left, she thought to herself, he never leaves.

"Always." She replied not moving from her position by the window.

"You don't have to do this Kathryn, we can have someone else take your place." He knew this statement was in vein but he tried nether the less.

"Oh Chakotay, you and I both know that that would never work. He would see through it so easily and plus he already has a crush on me and I'm pretty good at emotional manipulation." As you already know, she added in her head. Though her voice held a slight inflection trying to make light of the situation he saw through that. Chakotay moved to stand behind her, barely a foot away from her.

"No Kathryn, it might work. You don't have to…" he paused,

"its alright you can say it, I don't have to prostitute myself to get this ship and its passengers home. But I do, did you know that the first time Q showed up I faced the same decision, except this time there is no other way." Her voice caught at the end and he could see her reflection start to tear up.

"Computer, lock the meeting room doors level nine clearance and above only, authorisation Chakotay beta epsilon 32."

"Confirmed." Called the sing song computers voice.

Chakotay wrapped his arms around Kathryn's waist and pulled her back towards him, she went willingly. He held her as she let the weight of her decision really sink in, the tears flowing freely down her face were mirrored in his eyes. She felt his tears dropping on the back of her neck and spun around in his arms. Her palm went to his face and wiped the tears from his left cheek, leaving her hand on his face.

"Chakotay," she said in a breathy voice, "Don't cry, please don't cry. It makes all of this so much harder." He desperately wanted to stop crying just because of the pain he was causing her, I mean he had promised that her needs would always come first.

"I can't, I'm sorry Kathryn. I would if I could, but when you know the woman you love is going to…" he let his sentence hang in the air, not even able to finish the thought.

Her eyes went wide and he felt her stiffen in his eyes. Her hand dropped from his cheek and flew to her own. He dropped his arms from her waist when he realised that he had said that aloud rather than just in his head as he had thought.

"I'm sorry Kathryn I didn't mean to…"

"To what? Love me or tell me that you love me?" she asked calmly.

"Tell you." He replied. And then she did something so surprising that he didn't register it till it was almost over. Both of her hands shot forwards and she laced her fingers behind his neck pulling him forward to meet her lips.

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R&R


	2. Chapter 2

The kiss was intense, and he responded in turn. The two of them were locked in their embrace, completely oblivious to all of their surroundings. It didn't matter to them that she was about to face the worst mission of her life or that he would have to watch. All that mattered was that moment. When the need for air outweighed the need for closeness, Kathryn pulled away slightly and let her forehead rest on his.

"I love you Chakotay." She said softly, sensing that she was holding something back he prodded her softly in the side, "but not enough to not do what I have to do to get this crew to safety. It's my responsibility."

With her words he pushed her away from him and turned around so that she wouldn't see the pain on his face. She reached out to him with her hands but he shrugged them off.

"If love was enough…" she said putting her arms by her sides, she knew he would accept this, she knew that it would break something deep inside of him, but he would accept her decision.

"I know Kathryn, but I can't watch you do this. I refuse to watch you do this…" he started yelling at her no longer able to keep all of his pent up emotions inside anymore. Tears were running down her face and she begged him to stop.

"Why? Hu, Why shouldn't I yell at the universe until this is over? Why shouldn't I be f**king mad about this?" he looked at her straight in the eyes and she could see the pain and feel the anger running off his body.

"Because you're breaking my heart." She said softly finally allowing her sobs through the silent veil she had erected. Her words had an immediate effect on him, his body visibly loosened and his thoughts stopped being angry. He realised that he had to be strong for her, he had to be her rock. He walked over to her and enveloped her into his chest, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"You can do this, I know you and you can get through this."

"I know I can, I'm just not sure who will be waiting on the other side when we do."

"Neither am I, but the one thing I do know is that I will always love you and I will help you."

"Thank you Chakotay," she said pulling out of his arms and kissing him softly on the lips, she dried off her tears and took a few deep breaths, carefully pulling her captain's mask on and forcing Kathryn into a box where she couldn't get hurt.

"Right, Commander I will be in sick bay. You should relieve Tuvok of the bridge, he has been on duty for much too long. See you on alpha shift tomorrow."

He watched as she walked out of the meeting room and through the halls on her way to sick bay, he collected himself and did as she did putting himself into a box and allowing only his command functions to operate.

*Sick Bay*

"Computer activate EMH"

"State the nature of the medical emergency. Oh Captain it's you, you're not due for a check up for at least another few weeks. What can I do for you?"

He noticed her slight hesitation as her captain's mask faded, but before he could act on what he had observed she had pulled herself together.

"I need you to give me my booster and I need to know whether it is safe for me to have sex with Kashyk."

If the doctor was stunned he didn't show it.

"Just give me a few moments to replicate your booster and then we will have a chat."

The Doctor walked over to the replicator and typed in the specifications; he returned after a moment and injected the hypospray into Janeway's neck.

"I've already had a look at our Devore friends physiology and I can't see why it shouldn't be possible. I'm not sure I understand why you would want to tho, don't we already know that he is going to betray us?"

Janeway was a bit confused, she hadn't told the doctor any of the plan just yet.

"Oh come now captain, I may be just a hologram but I can tell when people aren't being completely honest with me, and plus when was the last time another species actually helped us?"

"This is going to sound rude doctor, but I don't want to talk about this. If you want to know the rest of the plan talk to Tuvok or Mr Neelix." She strode out of sick bay and back to the meeting room to talk with kashyk.

"Nervous?" she asked as she stepped into the meeting hall

"Let's just say I'm not used to other people deciding my fate."

"Until today, you were part of a government responsible for persecuting thousands of innocent people. Why the sudden change of heart?" to hell with it, she thought in her head, she wanted to know what he would come up with.

"There's nothing sudden about it. I've been looking for a way to escape for years. Voyager was the perfect opportunity."

"How so?" she asked, her tone of voice insinuating approval and curiosity.

"Well, what are you suggesting? I ask a Brenari vessel for assistance? They'd throw me out an airlock. Besides, you're something of a humanitarian, Captain. I've read your database. I know all about Starfleet philosophy. Unless you left those ideals behind in the Alpha quadrant?"

"I certainly don't grant asylum to every person I meet. Especially ones who ransack my ship and terrorise my crew. You're asking me to believe you're someone else, and that's a leap of faith I'm not ready to make."

"You're turning me away." He asked incredulously

"No. No, I'm going to give you safe passage to the wormhole in return for your help in getting us there, but I'm also imposing some restrictions. You'll have your own quarters but limited access to Voyager's systems and your whereabouts will be monitored at all times."

"I'm used to being surrounded by armed guards. Makes me feel secure."

"Only this time they answer to me. Consider them a reminder that Voyager is my ship."

"I don't think anyone could doubt that"

She didn't miss the tone of his last statement and paused for a minute looking back at him making sure he knew that she had caught his tone and would reciprocate it.


	3. Chapter 3

*fast forward a week later, the crew have found the worm hole and Kashyk has left Voyager*

Kathryn stood in the sonic shower for what seemed like forever, she couldn't wash him off her skin. The vibrations from the shower were not helping her headache but she couldn't, no wouldn't get out of the shower until she felt clean again. She heard her door chime through the noise from the shower.

"Computer, who is at my door?" she already knew the answer but wanted to confirm it anyway.

"Commander Chakotay."

"Is he alone?"

"Affirmative."

"Patch me through to his comm. Badge."

"Connection established."

"Chakotay, I'm in the shower. I'll let the computer let you in and I'll be out in a moment."

"Acknowledged." He replied. She knew that he was worried. She was making him wait until she had tried to come to terms with what she had done and had been planning on doing. But making him wait any longer to get his chance to worry about her to her face would be too much torture for him.

The doors to her quarters slid open with their customary 'swish' and he made his way to her couch. He had been in her quarters before, but to him it seemed different. Ever since their mutual profession every look, every movement and every conversation seemed more charged than usual. Honestly he was surprised that the alien hadn't picked up on the palpable tension between the two of them. He didn't want to think about Kashek and he didn't want to think about what she had done to convince him that she trusted him, but he had to know. Not knowing made him think of all the worst case scenarios and that just made him sick to his stomach. He had no idea what she was feeling and had no way of knowing how her sacrifice had affected her.

Alone with his thoughts he almost didn't hear the sonic shower turn off or the soft footfalls that made their way towards him. He looked up as she entered the room, she was wearing a bath robe wrapped tightly around her small frame. If he wasn't so worried about her he would have been turned on. As it were her face sobered him of any further thought on the subject, it was red and her cheeks were puffy. This was what she had tried to hide from the crew and from him, this was why the minute they had gotten out of their predicament she had handed the bridge to him and rushed back to her quarters like a scared puppy.

She stood in the doorway trying not to cry but seeing him broke her resolve and she crumbled to the ground. Before her knees hit the ground he was by her side, his arms wrapping around her waist holding her up slightly. The position was uncomfortable so he let her knees sink to the ground slowly and manuvered so he was behind her. Her body lent forward racking with sobs that she could no longer withhold. He held her like that for a good twenty minutes until her sobs started to subside.

"Everything will be ok"

She nodded her head and pulled out of his embrace.

"take a breath, one moment, one day at a time." He told her and she complied. She moved over to her couch and sat down on the end putting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

"I know I have no right to ask this of you," started Chakotay as he sat next to her, "but what happened?"

She willed herself not to cry and this time she succeeded.

"He kissed me." He stiffened in response to her three word statement but she wasn't finished, "and then I kissed him back."

Inwardly he was happy that nothing more had happened but still he felt sick to think of that thing touching her and kissing her, and evidently so did she.

"I'm going to be sick." She said as she darted back into the bathroom. He followed her and held her hair back as she threw up the contents of her stomach, mostly bile. When she was finished he led her back to the couch and got her a glass of water.

"Do you want to talk about it or forget about it?" he asked sincerely.

"Both," she replied, "if I'm going to forget about it I have to talk about it. but not tonight. Tonight I just want to be loved." If her words surprised him he didn't show it instead he showed outward concern.

"Are you sure Kathryn? You have been though a lot over the past few weeks."

She looked him in the eyes and replied.

"I love you Chakotay and you love me, so show me." She moved over towards him and put his hands on her hips. She lent into him and kissed him softly on the mouth. She lingered long enough for him to form a coherent thought and when he had he changed the lingering kiss into one of passion. Suddenly he pushed her body away from his breaking their kiss. He forced himself to look into her eyes, tears had started afreash.

"It's ok I get." She said solemnly, she hadn't expected him to be repulsed by her but it did make sense.

"No it's not that, I love you so much Kathryn. But us doing this now, it wouldn't be about s it would be about you trying to undo what you have done and what has happened to you. You need time to process, so I'll stay with you I'll lie in bed with you but we have to wait."

"You don't find me repulsive?" she asked in a small voice, he seized her shoulders and responded forcefully

"Spirits no Kathryn, I find you so attractive it hurts and I love you more than you will ever know but I know you and you need time so I'm going to give it to you even if you don't realise it."

She nodded her head understanding his position. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight to his chest, relishing in the closeness of the moment. They shuffled towards her bed and climbed in after taking off their shoes and clothing. They laid together wearing only underwear and each other, in such a tight embrace it was impossible to tell whose limbs were whose.

Sleep came fairly easily for both of them, they were living their dreams. Their lives would never be separate of each other again, they would make sure of that. They would love each other for the rest of their lives and never give in. They would both send the other into danger and they would never compromise the safety of the ship intentionally just for the other, as much as they would like to. They would promise to love and to hold and to care for no matter the time, place or the conditions. They would celebrate all of the wins and hold each other after the loses. Time heals all wounds, and patience cures even the most damaged of hearts. They had plenty of patience to give and all the time in the world.


End file.
